Issue - meetings

Further to Minutes 29 (19 July 2016) and 62 (15 November 2016), the Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement presented a report on the formal proposals to expand both Barking Abbey and Robert Clack Secondary Schools.

The Cabinet Member explained that the very high birth rate in the Borough since the beginning of the decade had begun to have a significant bearing on demand for school places in the secondary age range.  Over 60 additional classes in Years 7 to 11 had been provided between September 2013 and September 2016 and the latest proposals would mean Barking Abbey School expanding from 9 to 12 forms of entry from September 2017 while Robert Clack School would expand from 10 to 18 forms of entry from 1 September 2019 (on a phased basis).  Robert Clack School would also accommodate three forms of entry of primary aged pupils and 39 places for nursery aged children from that date.

The Cabinet Member reassured her colleagues that the expansion proposals would not undermine the “Good” OFSTED ratings held by both Schools and also suggested that many of the apprehensions associated with very large schools were not relevant as Robert Clack would be operating from three separate sites and Barking Abbey from two sites. 

Cabinet Members spoke in support of the proposals and commended officers, the Cabinet Member and School representatives for their work in meeting the significant challenge of creating sufficient school places for the Borough’s children, including securing the necessary funding from the Department for Education and the Education Funding Agency.  It was further noted that Barking and Dagenham was ranked No. 1 across London for the percentage of first choice school placements for the upcoming 2017/18 academic year.

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree the extension of the age range for pupils attending Robert Clack Secondary School in order to accommodate primary aged pupils (3FE) and also nursery aged pupils (39 places) from September 2019;

(ii)  Agree the expansion of Robert Clack Secondary School from 10 to 18 FE from 1 September 2019 to be a phased planned expansion in collaboration with the school; and

(iii)  Agree the expansion of Barking Abbey Secondary School from 9 to 12 FE from 1 September 2017.